If it were to ever happen, an announcement of a new Titanfall game would likely break the internet. It seems though, in the eyes of Titanfall fans, that developer Respawn is moving ever further away from that possibility.
The Titanfall universe does live on though through Apex Legends, and Respawn has made it clear that it’s a universe that is still close to the studio’s heart. In our lengthy interview with Apex Legends’ game director, Steve Ferreira, we asked about how that Titanfall legacy will continue – and whether Apex is now the primary vessel for that universe.
“Apex has always been an expansion and evolution of the Titanfall universe, so it makes sense that they are both still very much part of that same universe,” he says. “The core gameplay mechanics, locations, and story are all intertwined and share the same DNA, so as a team it’s natural that we think of them as very much one and the same.
Titanfall 2 offered a very different experience with the introduction of the single player campaign versus the multiplayer-focused experience in Titanfall. In the same way, Apex being a battle royale offers another very different expansion of that core Titanfall universe.”
While Ferreira doesn’t reveal any specific details, it’s clear that there is still plenty of life – and scope for even more expansion – in the Titanfall universe, and he is keeping an open mind about the new experiences Respawn is creating for the future.
“As a team, we’re passionate about each of these types of gameplay experiences and are excited about the new ones we’re working on,” he says. “Could we see a return to some of those experiences from Titanfall, Titanfall 2, or all together new ones that continue to expand the universe even further? Of course. But right now, we’re very excited and focused on our ideas for continuing to push and innovate the Apex experience.”
Contrary to what some folks are reporting, Titanfall is the very core of our DNA.
Who knows what the future holds…
— Respawn (@Respawn) September 23, 2021
Respawn’s communication around Titanfall, including Ferreira’s comments to us, has been mixed and vague by design. While there has been more explicit messaging when it comes to shutting down talk of a Titanfall 3, the door is always left ajar for future Titanfall content to appear.
Apex Legends will definitely continue the Titanfall legacy with those “new” experiences, but we’ll let you interpret what a “return” to old experiences might mean.
Our full interview with Ferreira and Apex’s design director Evan Nikolich, which discusses the past, present, and future of the battle royale, will be dropping on The Loadout tomorrow, so stay tuned.